On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 17:48:01 +0200, "Kevin" >
scribbled this interesting note:

>Hi all
>
>I have a 1600dp, with about 3000miles on the clock and is about 10 months
>old. It doesn't drip a drop, well at least not in my carport. I do however
>have a mean clutch shudder, it's not the Bowden tube, I have replaced it and
>set the correct "dip".
>
>I suspect the clutch or pressure plate, as I've discovered it was the same
>one that was on the original oil leaking engine. I want to remove the engine
>and replace the clutch but get the whole system balanced, the clutch,
>pressure plate and flywheel, so that every thing is matting probably. My
>question is that, I'll have to remove the flywheel for this, will I have to
>replace the rear main seal when I do? It's not leaking and is less than a
>year old, I'm not a believer in fixing something that isn't broken. Could
>removing the flywheel damage the seal?
>
>Thanks in advance
>Regards
>Kevin

Let me get this straight...

Someone built or rebuilt an engine yet used the same damaged clutch
plate upon installation? No offense, but what else was reused that
shouldn't have been?

To answer your question, if the main oil seal (which is on the front
of the engine as it is installed in the car) isn't leaking, removal
and reinstallation of the flywheel should not cause any damage.

Balancing the pressure plate, clutch plate, and flywheel as a unit is
good, but when the engine was being worked on, those, as well as the
crank and pulley should have been balanced as a unit if you are
concerned about balancing issues.

But really, why go to the trouble of building an engine and then try
to save a few pennies by not using a new clutch? It isn't as if they
are all that expensive. As a percentage of the cost of doing a proper
build, it is very, very little. This is becoming my mantra these
days...You have to know which pennies to pinch!:~)

Look he
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=bo...aol.com&rnum=5

or even better, look he

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=bo...ol.com&rnum=31

Hope this helps...


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)